RR vs KKR: "Not the time to be flat" - Shane Watson tears apart Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals for downfall in IPL 2024

Former Australian all-rounder and commentator Shane Watson has expressed his surprise at the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) sudden decline after a strong start in the ongoing IPL 2024. Watson said that the Royals initially seemed unbeatable this season, with a solid lineup and good tactical flexibility.

However, the former Rajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder further mentioned that Sanju Samson and Co. have just lost momentum, and in their recent games, the team's energy appeared low as they suffered four consecutive defeats in the later stage of the ongoing IPL 2024.

Furthermore, Watson said that RR captain Sanju Samson tried to motivate his team, and players like Avesh Khan and Riyan Parag put in decent efforts, but except for them, everyone looked flat, and the overall performance was just lackluster in their recent matches in the ongoing IPL 2024.

Very surprised with Rajasthan Royals's slump: Shane Watson

The former Australian all-rounder emphasized that this is not the time for the team to falter, as he urged the Royals to deliver strong performances to regain confidence and make a successful push for the IPL 2024 playoffs. He also said that the current trend is disappointing for both fans and players.

Shane Watson said on Jio Cinema: “I have been very surprised with how the Rajasthan Royals have taken off. They were flying high with no weaknesses in their team. They were able to just mix and match when they really needed to. They have certainly lost momentum and tonight (against Punjab Kings), it seemed no one was up for the fight.

Sanju Samson is the captain, he's willing everyone to be up for the fight. Avesh Khan, Riyan Parag did a job, but outside of them, everyone looked flat. This is not the time to be flat. They need to get a few good performances under them and build their confidence to hit the playoffs flying. They are going in the other direction. For the Rajasthan Royals fans and players, that's not what they want.”

Not only Watson, but many cricket experts and former cricketers, including Aakash Chopra and Brian Lara, have expressed concerns over the RR’s sudden slump in the tournament.

Rajasthan Royals hope for top-2 finish in IPL 2024

Notably, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) is comfortably sitting in the second spot with 16 points from the 13 games that they have played so far in the ongoing IPL 2024, despite suffering four defeats in a row.

The Royals will now certainly be hoping to regain their form in their last league game before embarking on a playoff journey. The Royals will play their final league game in the tournament against the table-topper Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on May 19.

Well, KKR have already qualified for the IPL 2024 Playoffs, and RR, alongside Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), are all competing for a playoff spot. Additionally, the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) still have an outside chance to make it to the playoffs this season.